Need to Incorporate Ancient Indian Knowledge in Today's Education: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a webinar on the impact of the Union Budget 2022 on the education sector. He stressed the need to include India’s ancient experience and knowledge of urban planning and designing into education. He also added that a lot of emphasis has been laid on the universalization of quality education, digital skill development, urban planning and design, and internationalisation of education.

The prime minister also added that the budget will help in implementing National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.  “This budget will help a great deal in realizing the National Education Policy”, he said. He added that a national digital university is an unprecedented announcement in this year’s budget and it can boost learning and re-learning for the 21st century with the help of a world-class approach. The problem of shortage of seats can be resolved with the help of this year’s budget. There will be unlimited seats. He further urged all stakeholders to ensure digital universities start as soon as possible.

When it comes to internationalisation, world-class foreign universities should come to India, which are our industrial areas, like GIFT City, institutes associated with fintech must come there, added the prime minister. Digital connectivity is what kept our education system alive in this time of the global pandemic. We are seeing how the digital divide is rapidly shrinking in India. Innovation is ensuring our inclusion,” added Modi.

The young generation is the future leader of the country. Hence, empowering them means empowering India’s future, he added. Right from e-Vidya, one class one channel, digital labs, digital university, such educational infrastructure is going to help the youth a lot and it is an attempt to provide better solutions for education to all, be it villages, poor, Dalit, backward, tribal, in the socio-economic set up of India, said Modi.

He further added that India is witnessing a digital divide but it is being bridged in India with great speed. “We need to prepare our demographic dividend for the jobs of the future. From pre-primary to post-graduation, we must prepare our whole education system for the needs of the 21st century,” he added.

On International Mother Language Day today, PM Modi underlined the link between education in the medium of mother language and the mental development of children. He said that in many states medical and technical education is also being imparted in the local languages. He called for momentum in creating the best content in digital format in local Indian languages. He further emphasised that such content needs to be available via the internet, mobile phones, TV, and radio. He reiterated the requirement to keep the work with regard to content in sign languages going with due priority.

Modi also highlighted that the budget 2022 will put emphasis on Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC)”. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is conducting a webinar on “Strengthening Industry-Skill Linkage in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC).”

This year’s budget allocated a total of Rs 1,04,278 crore to the education sector which is a rise of Rs 11,054 crore from last year. While announcing the budget on February 1, finance minister Nirmala Sithraman had introduced several initiatives to make up for the learning loss amid the pandemic and to upskill employees.

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